The Fantasticast

Post-Apocalyptic Slapstick

Hello, and welcome to episode 194 of The Fantasticast. Each week, Steve Lacey and Andy Leyland guide you through every issue, guest-appearance and cameo of The Fantastic Four.

This week, we're returning to the fertile lands of Marvel Two-In-One. The Valkyrie needs an origin, Destiny needs a harmonica, and Doctor Strange is on call to provide some ghostly exposition. Richard Burton is dead, and the Thing's under crackers are just wrong. Don't ask, just accept.

Making a welcome return to the show to help us through this issue is Stacey Taylor, of Stacey's Pop Culture Parlour. If you remember Stacey from her previous appearance on the show, you know what you're in for! And joining Stacey is a conicla-boobed bird on a Pegasus, some existential tooting, and a whole bunch of folks doing the Defenders Mash (it was a podcast smash).

Listen to Stacey's Pop Culture Parlour here, check out our appearance on the 24 Hour Pop Culture Parlour here, and follow Stacey on twitter where she is @stacebobt. You can also donate to Stacey's fundraising for the Alzheimers Society here.

Send in your feedback to [email protected], leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at www.TheFantasticast.com. Follow us on twitter, where we are @fantasticast

The Fantasticast is Patreon supported. Visit www.patreon.com/fantasticast to donate and support us.

The Fantasticast is part of the Flickering Myth Podcast network.

Original artwork by Michael Georgiou. Check out his work at mikedraws.co.uk

Episode cover design by Samuel Savage.

A Team-Up With A Team-Up

Hello, and welcome to episode 193 of The Fantasticast. Each week, Steve Lacey and Andy Leyland guide you through every issue, guest-appearance and cameo of The Fantastic Four.

This week on the show, we're packing them in with coverage of two complete issues. First up is The Man In The Mystery Mask, presented in Fantastic Four #154, in which the dreaded deadline doom catches up with Len Wein before his run has even begun, and a panicking bullpen reprint Strange Tales #127. Thankfully, we skip the stuff we've covered before (check out episode 37 for fuller coverage), which allows us to get straight on to the next issue.

And what an issue that is Marvel Team-Up #29 - Beware The Coming Of Infinitus, or, How Can You Stop The Reincarnated Man? Yes, this issue has a title for each hero. You'll find Iron Man being a massive tool, Vince Coletta back on inks, and the unlikely sight of Johnny Storm conducting heavy-duty academic research.

Send in your feedback to [email protected], leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at www.TheFantasticast.com. Follow us on twitter, where we are @fantasticast

The Fantasticast is Patreon supported. Visit www.patreon.com/fantasticast to donate and support us.

The Fantasticast is part of the Flickering Myth Podcast network.

Original artwork by Michael Georgiou. Check out his work at mikedraws.co.uk

Episode cover design by Samuel Savage.

Bondage Trousers

Hello, and welcome to episode 192 of The Fantasticast. Each week, Steve Lacey and Andy Leyland guide you through every issue, guest-appearance and cameo of The Fantastic Four.

What is it with creative teams changing mid-story? From Kirby to Romita Sr, and Lee to Goodwin, it seems that more creators have switched out without completing their stories than there should be for the FF. Fantastic Four #153 is no exception, as Tony Isabella steps up to complete Gerry Conway's plotline, and I think it's fair to say that in the case of this particular story, it's a pretty thankless task.

With Machus and Femizon converging, it's clear that worlds will die, worlds will live, and pretty much everything will be the same. Only this time there's some muddled plotting, some incredible trousers, and a really uncomfortable ending that has to be read to be believed. Strap in folks, we're bringing the saga of Mahkizmo to a conclusion.

On another note, we're seeking your questions and queries for our 200th episode - send them in via e-mail, and we'll answer them as part of our bicentennial celebration!

Send in your feedback to [email protected], leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at www.TheFantasticast.com. Follow us on twitter, where we are @fantasticast

The Fantasticast is Patreon supported. Visit www.patreon.com/fantasticast to donate and support us.

The Fantasticast is part of the Flickering Myth Podcast network.

Original artwork by Michael Georgiou. Check out his work at mikedraws.co.uk

Episode cover design by Samuel Savage.

Is... Is That Stalin?

Hello, and welcome to episode 191 of The Fantasticast. Each week, Steve Lacey and Andy Leyland guide you through every issue, guest-appearance and cameo of The Fantastic Four.

If there's something' strange in your neighbourhood, who you gonna call? Doctor Strange! Especially if the something' strange is an exploding manifestation of Destiny in a subway station, touching the lives of a myriad of New Yorkers. Threats for the Thing and Doctor Strange to overcome include faceless ones and a giant rat, which sounds like Steve Gerber has been raiding Doctor Who plots for this issue.

Joining us is comics writer and long-time Fantastic Four fan Ryan O'Sullivan, who took a break from preparing his webcomic Turncoat for publication to help us work our way through this issue. Together, we uncover the secret history of Ben Grimm, and find out just what happens when Doctor Strange cooks.

Ryan's webcomic Turncoat, with art by Plaid Klaus, can be found at http://turncoatcomic.com, and the collected edition will be in stores in September. Follow him on twitter, where he is @ryanosullivan

Send in your feedback to [email protected], leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at www.TheFantasticast.com. Follow us on twitter, where we are @fantasticast

The Fantasticast is Patreon supported. Visit www.patreon.com/fantasticast to donate and support us.

The Fantasticast is part of the Flickering Myth Podcast network.

Original artwork by Michael Georgiou. Check out his work at mikedraws.co.uk

Episode cover design by Samuel Savage.

Cryptic Title

Hello, and welcome to episode 190 of The Fantasticast. Each week, Steve Lacey and Andy Leyland guide you through every issue, guest-appearance and cameo of The Fantastic Four.

It's time to go giant-size once again, as we get to grips with the epic storytelling on display in Giant-Size Fantastic Four #3. Ancient beings return to Earth, equipped with innate abilities to hasten the destruction of humanity, and only the Fantastic Four can do something about it. That is, of course, assuming that they can survive the coma-pox!

It's a story that truly deserves the title 'giant-size', brought to us by Gerry Conway, Marv Wolfman, Rich Buckler, Joe Sinnott, and an uncredited George Perez. It's packed full of detailed art, contemporary references, subtle morality, and a highly confusing conclusion. All this, and we ban George RR Martin from listening to the show!

Send in your feedback to [email protected], leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at www.TheFantasticast.com. Follow us on twitter, where we are @fantasticast

The Fantasticast is Patreon supported. Visit www.patreon.com/fantasticast to donate and support us.

The Fantasticast is part of the Flickering Myth Podcast network.

Original artwork by Michael Georgiou. Check out his work at mikedraws.co.uk

Episode cover design by Samuel Savage.

An Actual Ice-Cream Van

Hello, and welcome to episode 189 of The Fantasticast. Each week, Steve Lacey and Andy Leyland guide you through every issue, guest-appearance and cameo of The Fantastic Four.

This week, we bid a fond farewell to Gerry Conway with Fantastic Four #152, his last regular issue. Thundra and the team are lost in a nightmarish, hyper-masculine future. Rich Buckler's taking on too much work, and Reed Richards has the wrong number of appendages. As it turns out, not only is this Conway's final issue, but it's not even the conclusion to the story, and it's one of the most notorious rushed comics.

We're also activating our childish-snigger circuits as we get to grips with Giant-Size Man-Thing #2, by Steve Gerber, John Buscema and Klaus Janson. As well as this, we're talking about San Diego Comic-Con, celebrating some new equipment, celebrating the release of something long-lost, and getting interrupted by an actual ice-cream van. It's a packed episode of The Fantasticast, so why are you reading this? Get listening!

Find Amazing Spider-Man Classics at http://amazingspiderman.libsyn.org. Donate to Stacey Taylor's fundraising at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/spcplive2 and listen to our appearance on her 24 hour live podcast at http://popcultureparlour.podbean.com/e/spcp-live-2-part-1-a-side-order-of-sass/

Send in your feedback to [email protected], leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at www.TheFantasticast.com. Follow us on twitter, where we are @fantasticast

The Fantasticast is Patreon supported. Visit www.patreon.com/fantasticast to donate and support us.

The Fantasticast is part of the Flickering Myth Podcast network.

Original artwork by Michael Georgiou. Check out his work at mikedraws.co.uk

Episode cover design by Samuel Savage.

The Cockamamie Fan Club

Hello, and welcome to episode 188 of The Fantasticast. Each week, Steve Lacey and Andy Leyland guide you through every issue, guest-appearance and cameo of The Fantastic Four.

With Spider-Man taking a month off, the Johnny Storm steps up to lead this issue of Marvel Team-Up, joining forces with the God of Thunder to investigate a Hawaiian volcano and a set of fiery bootprints, as both a forgettable Avengers storyline and a forgettable Marvel Team-Up plot get a follow-up. It's Thor and the Human Torch against the Lava Men in the abandoned kingdom of the Mole Man!

As if all of this doesn't excite you enough, we can also promise you a moloid with a six pack, and a hard-hitting investigation into the medical ethics of Donald Blake, MD. It's these kind of shenanigans that make the podcast what it is - almost the best Fantastic Four podcast on the internet!

Send in your feedback to [email protected], leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at www.TheFantasticast.com. Follow us on twitter, where we are @fantasticast

The Fantasticast is Patreon supported. Visit www.patreon.com/fantasticast to donate and support us.

The Fantasticast is part of the Flickering Myth Podcast network.

Original artwork by Michael Georgiou. Check out his work at mikedraws.co.uk

Episode cover design by Samuel Savage.

A Wombful Of Wombats

Hello, and welcome to episode 187 of The Fantasticast. Each week, Steve Lacey and Andy Leyland guide you through every issue, guest-appearance and cameo of The Fantastic Four.

This week is another double-comic episode. We start with Avengers #128, which sees the Fantastic Four's now-redundant nanny Agatha Harkness head take up a new position as the Defence Against Dark Arts teacher for the Avengers. Following this, we peer into the pages of Fantastic Four #151, as Gerry Conway starts his final Fantastic Four story by revealing the origin of Thundra.

This does, however, mean that we also get the first appearance of the walking manifestation of brutish masculinity, Mahkizmo. It's a battle of the sexes with the entire (possible) future of the Earth hanging in the balance. Can this issue carefully walk the line between comment and crassness? Find out in this week's episode!

We are live on Stacey Taylor's 24 Hour Pop Culture Parlour Podcast at 10am BST, Saturday 9th July. Listen to the show at http://mixlr.com/spcp-live/

Send in your feedback to [email protected], leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at www.TheFantasticast.com. Follow us on twitter, where we are @fantasticast

The Fantasticast is Patreon supported. Visit www.patreon.com/fantasticast to donate and support us.

The Fantasticast is part of the Flickering Myth Podcast network.

Original artwork by Michael Georgiou. Check out his work at mikedraws.co.uk

Episode cover design by Samuel Savage.

Twatted By Ultron

Hello, and welcome to episode 185 of The Fantasticast. Each week, Steve Lacey and Andy Leyland guide you through every issue, guest-appearance and cameo of The Fantastic Four.

This week, wedding bells are ringing, celebrations are in the air, and everyone wants to kill each other. It's another Marvel wedding, as Quicksilver and Crystal prepare to spend the rest of their lives with each other. Such a momentous event couldn't be contained in one comic alone, so this week, we're looking at Avengers #127 and Fantastic Four #150.

Steve Engelhart, Gerry Conway, Sal Buscema and Rich Buckler present the return of Ultron and Omega, a revolution by the Alpha Primitives, a petulant Ben who just won't wear a damn cloak, the sudden return of Agatha Harkness, and the next momentous event in the life of Franklin Richards. Grab your confetti and take your seats. Now, are you with the bride or the groom?

We're appearing live on Stacey's Pop Culture Parlour Saturday July 9th at 10am BST. Listen live at http://mixlr.com/spcp-live/. Follow Stacey's Parlour on twitter for guest and schedule updates!

Send in your feedback to [email protected], leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at www.TheFantasticast.com. Follow us on twitter, where we are @fantasticast

The Fantasticast is Patreon supported. Visit www.patreon.com/fantasticast to donate and support us.

The Fantasticast is part of the Flickering Myth Podcast network.

Original artwork by Michael Georgiou. Check out his work at mikedraws.co.uk

Episode cover design by Samuel Savage.

Honky-Tonk Badoon-Ba-Donk

Hello, and welcome to episode 185 of The Fantasticast. Each week, Steve Lacey and Andy Leyland guide you through every issue, guest-appearance and cameo of The Fantastic Four.

This week, we're returning to the year 3014AD, as The Thing, Captain America and Sharon Carter attempt to overthrow the Badoon occupation of Earth. But they can't do it alone - they need the aid of the Guardians of the Galaxy (Classic Edition). And we can't do it alone either - we need the aid of Al Kennedy, of House to Astonish!

Together, we're serving up some super-sized scrutiny of the work of Steve Gerber and Sal Buscema. We offer some of the best Ben Grimm impersonations ever heard, encounter some Churlish Haters of Ol' Marvel, and encounter a wolf in a snood. As an extra bonus, Al gets us both to shut up for a few minutes whilst he explains why the classic Guardians are awesome, although it's entirely possible that this comic needed to listen as well.

Check out the House to Astonish at housetoastonish.com, and follow Al on twitter!

Send in your feedback to [email protected], leave your comments at the libsyn site, or at www.TheFantasticast.com. Follow us on twitter, where we are @fantasticast

The Fantasticast is Patreon supported. Visit www.patreon.com/fantasticast to donate and support us.

The Fantasticast is part of the Flickering Myth Podcast network.

Original artwork by Michael Georgiou. Check out his work at mikedraws.co.uk

Episode cover design by Samuel Savage.